When student-activating teaching conflict with students' desire for efficiency. A communication perspective on undergraduate students' media use

Anne Mette Bjørgen,Yvonne Fritze

doi:10.7577/seminar.4049

Abstract

This article explores how students on a bachelor's course in Media Education understand the educational framework for teaching based on how they choose to participate in the teaching communication. The Norwegian Educational Quality Reform has promoted expectations of student-activating teaching methods to increase the scope of student-active learning. Digital technology was introduced in response to this challenge. Data was gathered through group interviews, a survey, and information from activity logs in the university college's learning platform. The article aims to shed light on what media practices the students consider as important and how their experiences correspond with the teachers' academic use of media. Students seem to prefer to study effectively, at the expense of activating teaching methods and of being active producers of learning. Although students are expected to be digitally competent, it should not be assumed that they master technology as expected in higher education. By drawing on Luhmann's communication theory the educational consequences of the students' media use in teaching and in independent study work is discussed.

Highlights

The above statement shows how one undergraduate student describes his experience of the lecturer's use of video as an opportunity to relax
We have investigated which aspects of their social media use were related to their academic interests and needs
This article has focused on what media practices third-year students on a bachelor's course consider as relevant and how their use and experiences corresponded with media use for academic purposes in lectures set by teachers

Summary

Introduction

The above statement shows how one undergraduate student describes his experience of the lecturer's use of video as an opportunity to relax. The lecturer's intention in using the video clip was to generate discussion and invite students to take part in teaching. This statement illustrates what has often been described as a tension between how students choose to use technology in education and the use made of technology by lecturers (Moll, Linder & Nielsen, 2015; Selwyn, 2016). 27, 20002001) places emphasis on student-activating teaching and the increased use of digital technology as a means to promote learning and teaching quality What do the statistics tell us about the way students use the learning platform? How and for what purposes did students use social media and online resources in teaching and in independent study work?

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Conclusion